Category: M

Marijuana is the term used to describe the mixture of dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa, or hemp plant. There are many slang terms for marijuana, including pot, grass, weed, reefer, boom, and gangster. Marijuana is generally smoked in the form of loosely rolled cigarettes (joints) or hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana (blunts).…

Marden-Walker syndrome (MWS) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder. Medical and cognitive implications associated with this syndrome have onset at birth. Although this statistic is tentative, the prevalence of MWS has been estimated at less than 1 birth per 1,000,000. With regard to gender, MWS is approximately twice as frequent in males…

Alpha-mannosidosis is a rare metabolic disorder characterized by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha- mannosidase. Due to this deficiency, oligosaccharides accumulate within cells of body tissues. Symptoms of the disorder vary widely, as does severity. There are two forms of alpha-mannosidosis. Type I typically develops in early childhood, with age of onset ranging from…

Maffucci syndrome (MS) is a nonhereditary disorder of skeletal and vascular tissues. Its salient features include benign tumors of cartilage and bone (enchondromas) and blood vessel malformations (hemangiomas). A condition marked by the presence of enchondromas (noncancerous cartilage tumors) along with hemangiomas (noncancerous blood vessel tumors) on the skin or within internal organs. This syndrome…

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is the most common subgroup of the leukodystrophies, a group of disorders that affects the white matter or myelin sheath. MLD is associated with the accumulation of cerebroside sulfates, a group of myelin lipids (fats); it leads to staining (metachromasia) of brain and other nervous tissue that does not occur in other…

Mycoplasma pneumoniae encephalitis is a bacterial infection that mimics a virus; that is, the bacterias lack a cell wall and receptor sites for common antibiotics. Mycoplasmas are transmitted via the respiratory route and are the smallest free-living parasites known to exist. This type of pneumonia occurs more often in the winter months and is often…

Ataxia is a disorder that involves incoordination of voluntary muscle movements. Marie’s ataxia is a designation for hereditary conditions expressed through dominant genes and characterized by spinocerebellar degeneration. These conditions normally occur in adulthood, although the time of onset varies widely. The clinical features of Marie’s ataxia are heterogeneous within and between families, so diagnosis…

Hypertrophy of muscle cells (also called muscle fibers) refers to the enlargement or growth of the muscle cell. Strenuous exercise can produce muscle hypertrophy, which accounts for the majority of an increase in lean body mass during resistance training. Hypertrophy occurs due to increases in the number and size of myofibrils within the muscle fiber…

Hyperplasia of muscle cells (also called muscle fibers) is a term used to describe an increase in the number of muscle cells. Some controversy exists with regard to the contribution of hyperplasia as a result of heavy exercise. Overall, hyperplasia does not appear to be a major contributor to growth during resistance training.  

Vitamins and minerals are needed in very small quantities for the body. Both are required for vital functions in the body, which include biochemical reactions for energy production, hemoglobin synthesis, bone health, immune function, reactions and structural properties for the synthesis and repair of muscle tissue, and the protection against oxidation processes in the body.…